Car Show

Pre Birthday Dinner- Spaghetti Factory Rancho Mirage, CA with Danny & Lexi

Mike's Birthday Dinner at home!

November 2015

NOV..Aunt Marge had quite a scare as she was told that she had cancer – believed to be in the blood. She had several tests while we were there. She later found out the the cancer was contained to the polyp in her colon that was removed during the colonoscopy. We went to Church with Marge on the 1^st and then had a great dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. We had a wonderful time visiting with Aunt Marge.

On the 3^rd Dad got a call advising him that a apartment had opened up in the Timber Creek Village Assisted living place in Havre. I called them the next day and verified the particulars. Dad decided he didn't really want to come to Yuma and wanted to move in there. The decision had to be made pretty quickly and he spent his first night the just one week later – Nov 10^th. Doug/Fran & Denita/Steve got him all moved with furniture from his house in Great Falls and our place. It is a very nice place and he seems to be settling in ok. At lest he is getting his medication and meals!!!

The 3^rd was also move day. We headed the 61 miles to Desert Pools RV park in Desert Hot Springs. The park was pretty empty. They have improved the pool area so we used the mineral spa a few times. We stayed for a week. While there we met with Danny a couple of times. Once with Lexi and him at the 'Spaghetti Factory for an early Birthday dinner for Mike – (9^th). On the 8^th we went to the mega Southwest Church in Indian Wells. We have been wanted to go there for several years. It didn't disappoint – the service and message was wonderful. There was a car show going on there as well. From there we went to the College of the Desert Street Fair.

On the 10^th we drove to Yuma to our home for the winter. We rented a RV lot 5 lots down from Doug & Frans new place. It's a nice lot with a small building that has a washer/dryer & bathroom/shower. It is so nice to have the laundry right there! Happy Birthday to Mike – we celebrated again with a home cooked Cornish Hen dinner. We did a little shopping on the 11^th and even ran into some Canadian friends – George & Gail that we know from Lake Havasu City.

The 14^th we wondered around the Arizona Marketplace, an outdoor market.

On the 15^th we left around 730a to drive the car to Mesa. We went to pick up Fran's Mom, Camilla. We stopped in Maricopa on the return for a late lunch.

We had been having problems with the kitchen faucet and we discovered that it had been leaking underneath the sink, causing the wood to be warped. We found that the faucet was warrantied for 10 yrs so they sent us a new one. We installed that on the 16^th.

Doug & Fran arrived late on the 17^th. The next several days were spent doing general stuff! Of most importance – building a fence for Cali.....

The 22^nd we went to Southwest Church. The music and message was great!

We spent a very nice Thanksgiving at John & Angie Hebblemen's. They had 6 of their neighbors there as well. We had a fun afternoon playing a card game. Danny came on the day before and stayed until the following Sunday, the 29^nd. We received the sad news that Dixie's Uncle Harold passed away on Thanksgiving On the 29^nd we drove with the motorcycle group to Calexico for lunch. We stopped in El Centro on the return for a Costco stop.  

Charlie Russell Chew Chew Train Ride

Tyler's Senior Night & Last Football Game

October 2015

OCT...The 1^st Dad had a Caradid Artery Ultra Sound and then we headed back to Turner.

The 2^nd Dixie had her hair highlighted and cut at Denise's

The morning of the 3^rd we rode with Doug/Fran to Lewistown. We met Bill and Jan Perrin there and we all went on the Charlie Russell Chew Chew Train. It rained some but it was 3.5 hours of alot of fun. We had a wonderful Prime Rib dinner. There was even a western hold up! After the train we had a drink at the Eagles and went back to the historic Calvert hotel. The next day we had breakfast with Perrin's and then drove to Great Falls. We loaded up furniture at Doug/Fran's condo and some at Dad's to take to Yuma. We decided to stay overnight and go back on Monday. We had drinks and dinner at 'The Pit Stop'. We had shrimp and broasted chicken that was very good!

The 5^th we drove back home....it had rained quite a bit so it was muddy.

The 7^th Dixie took Dad to the foot clinic appointment in Harlem and the 8^th we went to another of Tyler's football games. We also started motorhome packing.

9^th – Mike helped Doug & Steve put up plywood sheets for a ceiling in Doug's garage. Dixie worked inside. Lunch at Denita's. Phone call from Kat re Bailey's email. We went to another football game in Harlem.

The 11^th was our church dinner. Dixie cooked a 24 pound turkey and made dressing to serve 40. She also worked at the dinner. It was very good!

The 13th someone came from the Blaine County Appraiser's office to appraise out property for taxes. We did more packing through out the week and Dixie worked at Fran's and checked on Camilla. Doug/Fran went left with a load to Yuma on the 12th

19^th – Dixie helped the Hogeland Lutheran ladies make Lefse.

22^nd – We drove to Havre to Dad's VA doctor appointment (flu shot, pneumonia booster, med review) and do some errands. We stopped at Rad's Deli in Chinook for an early dinner pizza.

23^rd - Finished up our motorhome packing and getting the house/yard ready for our departure. Went to Tyler's Senior night at the football game in Harlem. It was a bit cold and we left at halftime.

24^th – Loaded the frig/freezer as well as last minute items in the mh. In the afternoon we took Dad to his camper in Hogeland and got him situated. He will stay there for the next 3 weeks until he fly's to Phoenix. Went to Doug's where Mike helped him finish up his garage ceiling. Dixie and Fran did some work. We had a steak/shrimp dinner with them. Dixie made a 'green tomato' pie with some of our many tomatoes. We had to pick them all (a bunch) and pull up the plants before leaving. We are talking many with us!!!!!

25^th – We got on the road at 1030am. Drove to Great Falls and did a few errands and overnighted at Dads. We did some cleaning and furniture rearranging at Dad's.

26^th – Dixie had an appt with Dr. Cameron at 740am to get a cortisone injection on her sore thumb (started hurting and triggering several weeks ago). Dr. said if it starts hurting next spring again she should have the trigger release surgery. He doesn't recommend more injections as it can rupture the tendon. Keeping my fingers crossed that it holds this time. We hit the road at 9am. We stopped in Butte for fuel and made a sandwhich. We drove 405 miles today and landed at the Pocatello Walmart around 5pm.

27^th – Todays journey took us the 510 miles to Mesquite. We overnighted in the Casablanca Casino parking lot. It was full but we were able to squeeze in.

28^th – We started the day with breakfast in the Casino and then headed to Las Vegas. It was only an 85 mile drive so we arrived around 1130. We met up with our friends Glenn and Henrietta at 'The Orleans' Casino. They had a room in the hotel and we had our happy hour there. After that we went had dinner at the TJI Friday's happy hour. We had a great time visiting and catching up.

29^th – We drove 232 miles to Riverside's Rancho Yurupa County Park. After we got set up we went to Aunt Marge's for dinner.

30^th – 31^st. We spent time with Aunt Marge! We went to the movie, 'War Room” which was very good! On the 31^st we went visit Buster & Sandy and went out to dinner with them.

September 2015

SEPT...This month started with Tyler's 18^th Birthday on the 1^st. We went to Doug & Fran's to celebrate with dinner. We had a quite Labor Day Weekend. Denita and family went to see Levi and Doug & Fran went to Great Falls. This month we painted the basement walls and floor as well as the inside cabinets in the upstairs bathroom/dressing room. Still using up old paint. We also laid some carpet remnants on the floor in the basement. I also decided it was time to work on making some jewelry to replenish stock for the two Beauty Salons – Custom Cutter in Inverness and Image-n-That in Turner.

The 11^th we all went to Harlem to watch Tyler play his first home football game. They didn't do so well but it was fun to watch him play.

The 12^th was a big day!!!!! It was the Suicide Prevention Walk in memory of Tristan Billmayer. We road the bus to Hogeland about noon and the 12 mile walk started in Hogeland at 106pm. We started off at the front but Mike left me in the dust about a ½ mile into it. He has longer legs! The had one mile makers along the way with water stations ever 4 miles. I had to get on a golf cart at mile 7 and road for just over a mile (at the same speed as the walkers). I started walking at the last water station and walked the remaining 4 miles with Denita and Darcy. By that time we were pretty sore – low back and toenails (ya the toes push up against the shoes) I talked to Mike and he was almost finished. Those last 4-5 miles were tough It was 85 degrees when we arrived at the Turner Park at 445p. Mike completed the walk in 3 hrs 20 min and I did it in 3hr 40 min. We had sloppy joes in the park and then went home for a rest before the program at 7pm. By the time we walked to the school at 7p we could hardly walk. My calves had tightened up and both of our toe's really hurt (not to self – before walking that far trim toenails as short as possible). It took several days for the body to recover and we are still not sure if Mike will loose his left big toenail. All in all it was a great accomplishment for a very worthy cause. I do believe Mike was the oldest person that completed the full 12 miles.

I took Dad to his camper on the 15^th to stay while we go to an RV Rally. We left the morning of the 16^th in the Motorhome for Great Falls in the rain! We overnighted there.

The 17^th we drove to Devil's Elbow on Hauser Lake, just out of Helena. Our last FMCA rally for the year look place the 17^th – 20^th. It was a great location and we were parked with a view of the lake. We went into Helena a couple of time for some shopping and with the group to the Grub Steak for dinner. a we drove back to Great Falls and overnighted. On Monday the 21^st we took the motorhome into Kustom City Fiberglass to have the crack near the back slide repaired. We left it with them. Dixie had bloodwork and then we both had a chiropractor appt.

On the 25^th we went to Tyler's football game in Harlem.

The 26^th we spent the day in Chinook for the Sugarbeet Festival. Dixie had a booth to sell her jewelry and Mike did the 3 mile run, coming in 2^nd or 3^rd. It was a fun day and profitable. We left a bit early so we could get back to Shay's performance in the Missoula Children's Theater program.

The 28^th we drove to Great Falls. We both had our annual Doctor appointment with Dr. Legan. We went to visit Harold afterwards. He had been in the hospital due to his defibrillator. He isn't doing real good as the dr. told him that it is no longer functioning and the next incident his heart will give out. We went to dinner at Applebees with Dad.

The 29^th, Mike had his bloodwork and Dixie had a mammogram. Later Dixie took Dad to his Stress Test Appointment. Both went well. Dixie spent some time going through stuff at Dad's and made a couple of trips to the Salvation Army to give items away. The 30^th was more cleaning at Dad's.

August 2015

AUG... I missed putting our day trip to Fort Peck in the July Blog. On July 26^th Mike,Dad and I drove to Ft Peck to attend the Theater...we met Doug and Fran there and saw the play “Best Little Whore House in Texas” It was very well done. We went to dinner with Doug/Fran and then left for home at 830p. Doug/Fran stayed over in the historic hotel as they were celebrating Fran's birthday which was the next day. It rained most of the way home so it was not a pleasant drive.

We started by celebrating Shay's 11^th Birthday on the 2^nd with Taco's at their house. Harvest started and stopped due to weather or ripeness. We went to Great Falls on the 9^th & 10^th specifically to get new cell phones and a new account. Mike graduated to his first 'smart phone' and we now have unlimited texting. It is not so much fun to get new phones due to the learning curve. We opted for the Motorola Droid Turbo due to it's great battery. So far that has worked out well. My old Samsung phone wouldn't hold a charge until noon! With the Droid we can go all day! Of course we had to do all our other errand while in Great Falls.

We made another trip back to Great Falls on the 19^th for Dad's doctor appt. It was with Dr. Williams who did his carotid surgery....Well we found out he should have been seeing a cardiologist instead. Luckily Dr. Williams was able to get him into see one that day at the GTF Clinic – Dr. Castriz. He is to come back in Sept for a Stress Test and a Carotid Ultrasound. Dad enjoyed his overnight in Great Falls – looking through his clothes and bringing some back. He also checked out the garage. We went to Borries to eat dinner and drove home the next day.

I refinished the TV stand. It was left in the house when we bought it. It turned out well – looks like an new piece of furniture. I also helped Fran us 'Green Apple' on her books shelves. Fran went to Oregon to pick up her Mom and was gone for a week. During that time I cooked a few times for while the guys were harvesting. We took dinner to the field twice. We did more outside projects.

I went to Havre with Denita on the 28^th.

July 2015

JULY...

We spent the afternoon at Denita and Steve's for the 4^th. In the evening we came back home and watched Turner's fireworks from our yard. Doug, Fran and Callie were with us.

Jason Warren came around noon on the 8^th to begin the old house demolition. It was quite interesting to watch. We had several people stop by and take in the show, including Ron & Sandy (Doyle). Sandy told us some interesting tidbits about the house. It ended up taking the better part of three days to take it down and fill the hole with dirt/rocks. We also had him put some gravel in our driveway.

We drove to Great Falls on the 10^th and overnighted. On the 11^th we got a taxi bright and early and headed to the airport. We made our flights to Denver and then Houston. Once there we picked up our car rental and drove to visit Ruthie. She is doing pretty good and is in a new facility that she likes. We had a great visit and then headed out to drive to Brandon's. We stopped for a Schlotzky's sandwich in Humble along the way. It was a 185 mile drive to Fort Polk and we arrived around 830p. We had a few issues with our car rental – the gave us a mid size instead of the full size we reserved and the gas tank was not full when we got it. It a couple of phone calls to get it all straightened out. We did get the sad news that Bob Ball past away on Sat. the 11^th. He had been sick with anal cancer since April. Mike had planned to go with Brandon while we were there to visit Bob. On Sunday the 12^th we drove with Brandon & Kat the Alexandria. We made a stop at Hobby Lobby and then had lunch. Bailey drove over from Spring and spent the rest of the week with us. We decided to extend our stay so we could attend Bob's funeral in Dayton on Sat., the 18^th.

On the 13^th we had a fun day of driving and sightseeing. We left around 11am and made our first stop to eat our packed lunch. Then we headed to St. Francisville where we toured a Haunted Plantation - The Myrtles Plantation. It was quite interesting. We then headed south and went through Baton Rouge and then west to our next stop....A Swamp tour out of Breaux Bridge. There were only 7 of us on the tour and it was pretty cool. We spent 2 hours on the water and it was especially neat as we saw the sunset and got some awesome photo's. We saw several alligators sunning themselves and numerous birds. We then headed west on I10 through Lafayette and stopped in Lake Charles at Applebee's for a late dinner. We made it back home at Midnight....it was a long drive but a very fun day with the family!

On the 14^th and 15^th we hung out...doing some shopping, going to Brandon's office and touring the post.

On the 16^th we all drove to Spring, Bailey and Nic in Bailey's car, Brandon, Kat and the dogs in theirs and Mike & I I our rental. We had dinner with at Mike & Hope's and we also stayed with them for 3 nights.

The 17^th Brandon, Bay, Nic and Mike & I went to a movie (at least it was cool inside). The movie was 'Mr. Sherlock'. That evening we met Roger & Karen, Casey's family and Corey's family at a Mexican restaurant in Pasadena for dinner. We had fun visiting and catching up and we got to meet the new baby, Jackson Graham.

The 18^th we drove to Dayton for Bob's funeral. It was a very nice service. We went to Brain and Tina's afterwards for burgers and more visiting.

The 19^th was travel day and of course the flights filled up. Our first try was at 9am and finally got on a flight around 3p. We spent a few hours in Denver and arrived in Great Falls around 10p. It was a long day but we did have 'same day service' for a change.

We did some shopping on the 20^th and headed back home.

Roland Dailing started replacing our roof on the 22^nd. It took a few days due to weather but it looks great!

On the 23^rd I took Dad to Havre to have blood work drawn and the back on the 30^th for his VA appointment. They now have a clinic in Havre with a Nurse Practitioner. In between those appointments I had a doctor appointment in Great Falls with an ENT, Dr. Baker. This was for the sinus infection that the Endodontist told me I had. He didn't think it was anything serious but thought maybe I should have a CT scan. Also to keep using the Flonase. The appointment was scheduled for the next morning. I ended up canceling it as insurance didn't pay and it cost over $800.

On the 30^th I took Dad to his yearly VA appointment, this time in Havre. His heart rate is low so they took him off some medications. I need to take him to a cardiologist in Great Falls to have it checked out.

 Mike @ Algadones

 Steve, Levi & Tyler and the 3D in Great Falls

Denita & Shay @ her Birthday Dinner

April 2015 ~

April....It's a lot of work traveling...we got upacked and the washing done. Doug and Fran we moving things around since they will be leaving the 5^th wheel here. They closed on their purchase on the 2^nd. They are now owner of a lot in the Yuma Foothills. It has a park model, casita, a storage shed and RV parking. The casita need work but it's a great place...we have been staying here since the 2^nd of March. That evening we had George/Coralee, Dan/Julie and John over for Happy Hour and snacks. Dixie worked on the deposit and charges for Medical Accounting Services.

On the 3^rd we moved the motorhome so Doug could get the 5^th wheel out. He parked it at John's neighbors house so it would be under covering. We moved back into the rv lot at Doug/Fran's place. We made a wonderful shrimp dinner with shrimp Doug & Fran got in Algadones. On the 4^th they headed north. We are now here by ourselves.

On Easter Sunday we went to Church at Gloria De Christo Lutheran Church. Dixie made a ham dinner for Easter. We had a nice relaxing day.

On the 6^th Dixie had a dentist appointment in Algadones with Dr. Eric Escobedo at 930am. The wind was blowing and it was a bit cool so we left right after the appointment. Dixie ended up having to have a crown on the upper back tooth. The prep work was done and a temporary crown was put on. So far I was impressed with this dentist (recommended by George and Doug). We go back on Wed. to have the crown out on. We cleaned the window tracks and vacuumed in the park model.

7^th – Our 25^th Wedding Anniversary!!!!! We started the day out by catching up on computer work...the blog, email's, etc. Later in the morning we went for an hour long bike ride. In the afternoon we decided to go to the movie 'Still Alice' at the Main Street Theater in old Yuma. It was a good movie but depressing – it was about a 50 yr old women that had early on set Alzheimer disease. Then we had a drink on the patio at the Pint House down the street. We had a wonderful dinner at Olive Garden and enjoyed reminiscing.

8^th – We made the trip back to Algadones to get my crown. We had lunch first at the El Parisco courtyard. It was quick and good! We walked around a bit and bought more Ibuprofen and a bottle of brandy. The visit to the dentist went well and only took 20 minutes tops. I still have the sensitivity to hot and cold but he said it could be that was for a week or two. Hopefully it's not a 'root canal' that I need. We stopped at Home Depot, Wally's World and Walmart on the way home.

9^th - We for a walk in morning and over to Doug/Fran's 5^th wheel to pick up stuff. Dixie worked some. We cut the window covering for the window in the park model and put on new weather stripping on the back door. We enjoyed the nice weather, reading on the patio. The last few days have been cooler and the nights have been wonderfully cool!

10^th - We drove the north frontage road for a mike to a hiking location. We hiked up the Gila Mountains for about an hour. There is much more ground to cover getting to the top but it was a bit hot and we are not in hiking shape right now...maybe when we come back in the fall. Dixie worked on creating a web blog for the condo sale....it turned out well and is a place to show interested people the photo's of the condo....gtfcondo.blogspot.com

John Hebbelman came for dinner around 530p. We enjoyed some corned beef, cabbage and all the trimmings.

11^th – Rode the bikes in the am and then decided to go out for a bit.

12^th – Aunt Marge's Birthday. Went to the flea market, however it was all but closed up as it was the last day for the season. We did have lunch there and bought a few things.

13^th – Made one more trip to Algadones as Dixie's jaw is real sore and the teeth are very sensitive. The appointment was at 1p but didn't get in until almost 2. He filed down a couple of teeth and but some liquid stuff on the crown to help with the sensitivity. He also prescribed a muscle relaxant for a week to help with the jaw clenching. It seems better for now. We spent the rest of the afternoon putting stuff away in the motorhome and prepping the park model for summer.

14^th – we rode the bikes for awhile in the am and them summerized the park model. From there we went to John's and Dixie gave him a haircut and Mike put some antifreeze in Doug's fifth wheel. We then drove to Julie & Dan's to see their new house and ask some question on selling our condo. Julie has sold several! She was lots of help.

15^th – We locked everything up in Yuma and headed north. Today's drive is only 85 miles to Quartzsite. We decided to overnight in front of Bob & Cheryl's house since their neighbors had just left that morning. We spent the afternoon visiting and then had dinner with them. After that we played 9 holes of card golf.

16^th – We left Bob & Cheryl's at 7am. We made a stop at Love's for a fuel topoff, coffee, and a breakfast sandwich. We drove 390 miles to Cedar City and overnighted at the Home Depot parking lot. It was next door to Walmart and they were pretty full. It worked out great. We made a Walmart run and found something for dinner. Dixie's jaw and tooth are still hurting. She called the dentist in Great Falls and left a message but didn't get a call back. The winds were high park of the day and the weather between St. George and Cedar City was drizzly.

17^th – We left just after 7am. We stopped on the other end of Cedar City at the Love's and fueled up and were on the road at 748am. We drove 465 miles to the Walmart in Idaho Falls. Dixie drove for about an hour today south of Salk Lake to give Mike a break.. After a fuel stop in Idaho Falls, we arrived in our destination around 5p. We shopped a bit at Walmart.

18^th – We hit the road around 725a. Today's drive was 350 miles to Great Falls We fueled up at the Pilot there and parked in front of Dad's around 3p. Denita, Steve, Levi & Tyler were there. We all went to dinner at the 3D. We overnighted in the motorhome.

19^th – Denita & Steve drove our Tracker home. We did some shopping and in the afternoon went to Harold Struck’s to visit. Levi stayed overnight at Dad's again. We enjoyed dinner in the house and slept in the house. Dixie worked on the buy/sale agreement and printing take one flyers for the condo sale.

20^th – Dixie went to Dr. Crane (Chiropractor) at 8am. We went to Chicago Title to talk to them about our condo sale paperwork. The 'Buy/Sale' agreement we have looks good – we are set – we just need a buyer. From there Dixie went to Dr. Cammeron about her trigger thumb. He gave her an injection (cortisone) with the hope that the injection will correct the problem, if not it will require a trigger release which can be preformed in the office at a later date. We then met Levi for lunch at Hoagieville – he then left for Missoula. We ran some more errands and then met our renter's at the condo. Mike checked out the crawl space and determined that there is no water down there..yeah! We put the sign up in the yard – the condo is officially for sale! Karen told us of a possible lead for a buyer. There is a lady that is renting 219 35^th Ave and is interested in buying a condo in this complex. We went to visit with her and leave her a flyer. Her name is Linda Graff. We are keeping our fingers crossed?

21^st – We left Dad's just after 9am. We made a stop at the Cennex station to dump our holding tanks. We were on our way at 945a. We made a couple of stops in Havre. Walmart for a few more groceries and a stop to pick up parts for Doug. We fueled up in Chinook and made a stop in Harlem for more parts for Doug. We completed our 189 mile trip arriving in Turner around 230p. We unpacked the kitchen that day and left the rest for tomorrow!

22^nd – We unpacked the remainder of the motorhome! What a job...the least favorite part about traveling. Around five we drove to Denita & Steve's to check out the kitchen remodel. It is very nice! Looks like a different kitchen. From there we went to Doug & Fran's for a Birthday dinner for Denita! We had b-b-qued steaks and everything that goes with! Dad drove his car over and I rode with him (it was a white knuckle ride for me but he did ok, but he drives tooooo fast! If there was any kind of deviation he would be in trouble with reactionary time.

The remainder of the month we worked in the yard, picking large rocks for out borders, shoveling dirt, and general yard stuff! The other big thing we did was get all our 'condo for sale postings' done...Craigs List on the 25th and Zillow on the 26th. We received quite a few calls initially.

On the 25^th Dixie helped Denita and the Jr. class ( Tyler & Brett) decorate for the prom. Dixie went to Havre with Fran on the 30^th.

The Painted Church near Kona 

 Puako on the Big Island

 The northern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii

 Sunset on the beach in Kona

T

On the beach in Kona

Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island

Kona

 Maui - Island of Lanai

Snorkel Trip in Maui

25th Wedding Anniversary Trip to Hawaii

Our 25^th Wedding Anniversary Trip ~ A bit early!.....

The 20^th was our day to start 'the trip'. We closed everything up at the motorhome and left around 2pm. We made a quick stop at the flea market to pickup the sunshade drop for the motorhome and then headed to Coachella. We arrived at Spotlight 29 Casino around 530p. We had a happy hour glass of wine and then a slice of pizza for dinner. From there it was standing in line for 40 minutes for the doors to open for the free Elton John Tribute concert. It was excellent. We were in the third row so we had a great view of his piano playing which was awesome. His name of Kenny Metcalf and the Early Years Band. He played for over an hour and a half. We then drove to Danny's where we overnighted.

On the 21^st Dixie did a little cleaning at Danny's condo and then we realized somehow Mike's flipflops got left behind. We had a breakfast at Micky D's and then found some flipflops at Marshall’s. We then headed to Riverside to Aunt Marge's. We had a nice afternoon and evening visiting.

We started our long day on the 22^nd attending church with Marge and then she drove us to meet up with Doug. We all had lunch a Marie Calendar’s in Buena Park. We left there around 1230p for the Courtyard Marriott in El Segundo where we were to park the pickup while we are gone. Well we ran into a bit of a snaffo as they said we had a reservation for our overnight on the 30^th , they did NOT have any parking. They advised they didn't have park and fly agreement with Hotels.com/Expedia and also their parking was closed for that package deal. After much to do and phone calls, the manager agreed to let us park there. We caught the 2p shuttle to the airport and got checked in and through security in record time – about 15 minutes. We spent a little time in the United Club prior to our 440pm flight. We got exit row seats all together which gave use plenty of leg room...first would have been better but it was not to be!!! We arrived in Maui at 720p. It took awhile to get our bags and to the rental car place. We arrived at the World Mark Condo around 9pm. We visited with Fran and Camilla before we pooped out around 11pm. We took a sleeping pill to overcome the jetlag/time change.

The 23^rd we went for a walk and ended up at the place Camilla is renting for the month. We walked back via the ocean side. We packed up our beach stuff and headed out around noon. We made sandwiches and made a stop at the ABC Store and we were off. We drove south and took in the scenery. We stopped at a beach south of Waila...we think it as Po'olenalena Beach. We had our lunch and spent the afternoon there. We were in the water riding the waves in when a big wave came over the top of us...Dixie's glasses and visor came off. We thought the glasses were long gone...we saw them on the beach after one wave but couldn't get to them in time. We all searched and luckily another man on the beach located them on the ocean floor. Very thankful for that. On the way back to the hotel we drove into the Four Season's Hotel complex...Fran's Nephew, Tim works at Spado's, a restaurant there. We then went to the grocery store and bought hamburger for dinner. We made a great meal back at the condo. Groceries and eating out is quite 'spendy' here!

The 24^th....Doug and Fran left shortly after 7am for their Helicopter ride to view Haleakala/Hana. They had a wonderful time. We went for a walk as the Helo ride was not in our budget. We drove to Lahinia in the afternoon and a bit further north on the island. We made a a few stops to view some scenery. We had a happy hour drink in Lahina overlooking the water. It was a bit windy. From there Doug/Fran dropped us off at the theater to see the 'Ulalena' show. It was a great show of the Hawaiian History. Thanks Doug & Fran for the tickets for our Anniversary. After the show we went to a great Chinese restaurant called Fu Lin.

The 25^th we started our day out early. We had to be at the Lahina pier at 715a (a 45 minutes drive from the condo). We went on a snorkel tour to the Island of Lanai with 'Captain Steve's'. Our captain was Jonathan and his mate was Mika. We saw some whales on the way over. It was windy and the weather was iffy so they had a hard time finding a good snorkeling spot. We went quite a ways around the island. We made two snorkel stops and also had lunch on the boat. It was a good snorkel...saw lots of fish. The trip back was more than rough. We all got soaked. The weather was a bit dicy so we had to take the long way back...however, we did see several whales. One calf slapped his tale several times for us! We were pretty beat after that ride so we headed back to the condo in Kehie.

The 26^th was travel day. We left Maui on the 1203p flight which was about a ½ hour late. We didn't think we were going to get seats but at the last minute they had some no-shows. We arrived in Kona around 1p. We got our rental car (got an upgrade from a full size to a Ford Explorer) and were off to the condo...this World Mark room looks just like the other one! Bonnie (Fran's sister came over) to visit. We went to the store and bought snacks – that was dinner!

The 27^th we took a drive south. We stopped on the roadside for a Huli Huli Chicken plate lunch...it was wonderful. Then we checked out the beaches. Next stop was a tour of the Greenwell Coffee Farm. It was very interesting and informative...we have never seen coffee trees before. We then went to a beach called Two Step near,........State Park. Doug/Fran dove and snorkeled here before. We had rented snorkel gear at Big Island Divers in the morning so we got in the water to snorkel. This spot has lots of colorful fish...Tang and Parrot fish were the coolest. Of course right after we got out of the water we say the dolphin fins! We met Bonnie & Michael (boyfriend) for dinner at Quinn's....we enjoyed some wonderful fish and seafood!

The 28^th we drove to the north point of the Big Island. We saw where Bonnie teaches and then to the end of the road where we were high up overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful site. From there we drove back over the mountain and returned via Wiama. All in all we put on over 200 miles. We went to Bonnie & Michael's that evening. We met two other couples and we all sat on the beach at their condo and watched to the sunset and enjoyed some drinks and snacks! It was a beautiful setting and a fun time!

The 29^th we all took advantage of Bonnie...We treated ourselves to a massage! It was wonderful. After all that we went to the Harbor House for a late lunch. We enjoyed some fresh fish! It was quite cloudy and it rained a bit. We had planned to snorkel again but decided against that due to the weather. We went to the pool/hotub instead. The rest of the day we packed. Dixie cut Michael and Bonnie's hair. Around 830p we decided we needed something else to eat so we made a run to McDonald's!

The 30^th was the day to leave the islands. We packed up and headed to breakfast – another trip to the Big Island Grill. There food is wonderful and local! From there we drove south and checked out a bit more of the island. We ended up at the car rental return just after noon. We got checked into at the airport for our 152p flight and went to the gate. The flight had 6-7 seats up until that point. Suddenly there were non. The agent said she may have one seat....we would take two but not just one. Well – we didn't get on and the next flight that wasn't until 834p was also full. It was time to make some decisions. There was a Lavaman Triathlon in Kona on Sunday and that may have been the cause for the flight fluctuation. Tue. the flight was also full so Dixie started checking other options. We found the flight out of Honolulu had 100 open seats. We then decided to purchase passes online on Hawaiian Airlines. We headed to that gate and got on the flight leaving at 311p.

Once in Honolulu we went to the United Club. Dixie had packed her card by mistake but we managed to all get in the club. It was a much better place to pass the 4-5 hr wait time. The flight was scheduled for 845p but was delayed for an hour due to Guam connections. We had a sandwich at Quiznos and went to the gate. The flight ended up not taking off until 11pm. So much for our $247 hotel in LA for Monday night.

March 31^st – we arrived in LA around 630am. Our bags were there as they traveled on the original flight from Kona. We arrived at the hotel at 715am. We checked into the room and slept for 3 hours. We checked out at noon and headed to Riverside to pick up our car. We stopped at the same Marie Calendar’s in Buena Park for lunch. We got to Aunt Marge's around 230p. We visited for a bit and then took off for Yuma. We arrived at the motorhome around 730p. It was a very long 2 days....but a very fun time in Hawaii!  

Elton John Tribute Concert at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, CA

March 1-19, 2015... The 2^nd – We weren't able to bring the slide in once again, however we were able to push it in. We left Gila Bend for the Foothills of Yuma in the rain. The further west we got the more sun we saw. We stopped for lunch in the motorhome and arrived at George's lot around 130p. George's brother and wife (Keith & Judy) are staying in the park model and Doug & Fran are parked in the RV space. We were going to look for another lot to rent but when we got their Doug and George thought we could park on the lot as well. It took some time to figure out the electrical hookup. We ended up plugging in to a 110 plug for the time being. It's a bit crowded but we all fit.

That evening we met George's other brother, Harold & Helen as well as George's, girlfriend, Coralee. We all had happy hour together!

Over the next couple of days Doug put in a 30 amp hookup for us to use. The sewer hose will work with a few extensions. We share it with Doug/Fran. Mike caught a cold so was under the weather for several days the first week of March. Dixie worked on Medical Accounting charges and deposit.

Dixie, Doug & Fran met Bob Graff & Carol at Applebee's for lunch on the 6^th and then went to the Flea Market. We have had several dinner's together with the group.

On Saturday, the rest of the gang went on a motorcycle ride to Parker.

On the 8^th we went with Doug & Fran to shop a bit and then went to dinner at Da Boyzs Italian in old Yuma.

Dixie ordered a single burner Induction Cooktop from Jane & Jerry at the show – it arrived on Monday, the 9^th. We are now in search of a couple of pans that work with it.

The gang went on another ride, this time to Borrago Springs. We hung out and caught up on computer work. Things are coming together for the Hawaii trip. We got all of our days at the condo in Maui and Kona. Less than two weeks away.

On the 10^th Fran & Dixie went shopping in the afternoon. I found some pans for the induction cooktop at Marshall's – over course we had to buy a few other things as well.

The 11^th was a trip to Algadones, Mexico. Doug had a chipped tooth and we both had our teeth cleaned. We tried out Bob Graff's dentist, Dr. Alejandro Marques Reyes (928-366-5872). We had our fish/shrimp taco's from the street vendor and then had a beer and listened to Pepe. We bought some tile street numbers and a holder for the Turner house. The line was bit long but we made it through in just over a ½ hour.

The 12^th Doug & Fran went back to Algadones to get his crown put on. We made dinner for them, Keith/Judy and George/Coralee.

Friday the 13^th we went to the flea market in the afternoon and then to George & Coralee's for dinner. George has a wonderful house and patio area. We met a nice couple from Edmonton (Norm & Carol). Norm used to live in Shanavon and spent time in Turner in his early years.

Fran flew to Maui on the 14^th. She flew to Portland to meet up with Camilla and then to Maui.

Mike & I went back to the flea market on the 15^th with the intent of buying a sun shade to add to our awning. However they were out. They will order one and hopefully we can get it next Thru. Doug flew to Phoenix with John to pick up Angie.

The 16^th Dixie went back to Algadones with Doug. He lost a filling on Sunday. The dentist he went to last week was full so we got the name of George's dentist and went there. Dr. Erik Escobedo Cha was able to fill it and we were in and out in 20 minutes. Doug really liked this dentist so we will try it next time. (928-227-1048 escobedodental.com just in case I lose the card). We walked around a bit and then tried a new place across from the square for a shrimp salad. It is located upstairs and has patio dining overlooking the street. Leaving today was quick, just a short line at the gate.

Doug left for Danny's on the 17^th. He will overnight there and then go to Santa Ana to pick up Levi, Tyler and Shay on Thurs. They will spend 4 days with him going to Disneyland, California Adventure and Universal Studio's. There will be many first's for Shay...flying, seeing a big city, the beach, etc. Would have loved to be there.

Dixie worked on the 18^th to get everything caught up before our trip. It has been unseasonably hot this past week. We have been walking daily and rode Doug/Fran's bikes today.

The 19^th is packing day....at least putting it in the suitcase as it is pretty much all ready to go. It is cooler today.  Tomorrow is the start of our "25th Anniversary" trip to Hawaii!

Mike & Dixie out of Tucson on the way to Mt. Lemon

February 2015

February 2015.... We started the month out with a Super Bowl gathering at our place that Danny, Lexi, Doug & Fran attended! Fran made Chili and Dixie covered the appetizers. It was a good game, however the Seahawks lost! We enjoyed some fun time around the campfire. Lexi even sat out there with us and talked.

Monday we attempted to go to a movie “The Game Stands Tall” in Cathedral City but when we got there they advised the projector was broke (it was the dollar theater). Instead we shopped a bit and went back home.

Tues. Mike played water vollyball and Dixie sunned a bit at the pool.

Wed., the 4^th we went to Doug & Fran's for dinner and conversation over the campfire!

The 5^th was move day...122 miles to destination Ehrenberg, AZ – Arizona Oasis RV park. We got a site that wasn't too far from the river so we had a little view of it. We will only be here for 5 nights.

The 6^th Bob & Cheryl came from Quartzsite for happy hour and haircuts. We then went to the River Run Bar & Grill in Ehrenberg for Pizza.

The 7^th was a short drive to Blythe for groceries and a little shopping. We had lunch at Popeye's! In the afternoon we went to the pool.

Sunday Dixie went to the church service at the park. We took our chairs to the river in the afternoon and hung out. In the evening we went to the hot tub.

Monday Doug & Fran came in the afternoon and overnighted. We went to the river for a bit and then had a turkey dinner at our place.

Tues., the 10^th we headed for our next stop – Sundance 1 RV in Casa Grande. We caravaned – us in the lead, then Fran with their RV and Doug on the Harley! We stopped near Tonopah for fuel and a Subway. We took the route to Gila Bend and then over on I8 arriving around 3pm. Our sites that were suppose to be next to each other turned out to be at opposite ends of the park. So much for best laid plans. The park is nice – lots of park models with RV's interspersed. Glenn & Henrietta are also here.

11^{th -} We had happy hour with Glenn & Henrietta and then went to an Elvis impersonator show (Danny Vernon from the Seattle area). It was wonderful show – he looked and sounded a lot like Elvis.

12^th - Fran & Dixie went to a Yoga class and then we all drove into Mesa to the Camping World and another RV store where Doug bought a portable Ice Maker. We had a good lunch at the Mexican restaurant.

13^th – Fran & Dixie went to Walk Away the Pounds. We went to the hottub and had a fire at Doug/Frans

14^th – Shopping and dinner at Doug/Frans

15^th – Dixie went to church at the park. We went with Doug/Fran to Mt Lemon out of Tucson. We made a stop at the Biosphere but didn't have time to take the tour. We started going a back way to Mt Lemon thinking we could make it a circle trip but found out part of the way there the dirt road is closed until March. We headed to Tucson and made the drive up from there. It was a very curvy road but the scenery was beautiful. The saguaro cactus were plentiful right out of Tucson. There was even snow near the top. Once back to Tucson we made a stop at a Trader Joe's and then intended to go to a Mexican restaurant we had been to before – however the wait time was very long. We headed out of Tucson to find another one, however it wasn't so good. We put on over 250 miles for the day!

16^th – Went to the pool. Forgot that it was a holiday – lots of kids! We had Glenn/Henrietta & Doug/Fran for happy hour.

!7^th – Dinner at our place. Also gave Mike a haircut. Mike & Glenn worked on the Frig. Trouble shooting the outside fan which has never worked.

18^th – Doug replaced the thermostat in the Frig fan. Not an easy task but we now have a fan working for the first time --- almost 10 years later!

19^th – More yoga. Fran & Dixie went shopping. Doug's new phone came off his belt case while on a motorcycle ride on Florence Blvd...ooops someone ran over it. We met him at the Verizon store where they ordered him a new one. We had dinner @ Doug/Frans.

20^th Dixie gave Henrietta and haricut and we stayed for happy hour.

21^st. We drove to Maricopa to the Ak-Chin Casino to check it out for an overnight stay. Nice casino and grounds!

22^nd. Dixie went to church. We all met a classmate of Dixie's, Diane Granlund Brady in Chandler for lunch. We went to Rudy's Barb-b-cue and had a great meal and fun conversation. From there we made a stop to see the Total Wine & More store and then a stop at another Trader Joes......it may be our last one this year!

23^rd – Laundry & then packed up for our departure tomorrow. During our stay we did utilize the exercise room and the exercise classes a lot. The weather has been much cooler the past few days.

24^th – We departed from Sundance RV1 park at 10am. Got propane at Norris RV, made a stop at the Walmart near Maricopa and then drove to the Ak-Chin Casino. We overnighted in the parking lot. There is a huge movie theater there so we went to see “MacFarlene USA”. It was a great movie! When putting the bedroom slide out we found it didn't work. The sheer pin broke...again (happened in 2006 & 2010) We tried to replace it with the one we had but it didn't work. We called Doug and sent several pics but never could get it to work.

25^th – Tried working on the slide again but no luck. We left with the motorhome and fueled up at Fry's. We also made a stop at the Ace Hardware buying more pins. We arrived at the Phoenix Raceway Park for the Good Sam Rally around noon. We got set up in the parking lot – it was great to find out we had a 30 amp electrical hook up. Dixie will be working for a company called Always Shinny Wheels & RV selling stuff. Dixie & Henrietta went over to the tent which is in the infield of the track. We were real near by but we have to drive as there is only one entrance into the infield and it is on the other side. We went over the items for sale and checked it all out. Mike & Glenn looked at the slide problem and were able to get it out. We had happy hour at Glenn/Henrietta's.

26^th. The Rally tent opened at 10am today. We all took the tram there however it took over a half hour. In the future we will have one of the guys drive us there! It was a very busy first day of sales. It was fun, but tiring...not used to being on my feet all day! Mike & Glenn worked on the slide problem. They got it working but it broke again. This time the slide is stuck in the 'in' position.

27^th – Another busy day at work! Open from 9a-5p. Today they got the slide back out. We went to the night show – a Beattle tribute band. They were just ok!

28^th – Work hours today 9 to 5 again. Still pretty steady business. Learning lots about tire valve extenders, pressure gages, etc. Also pitching “Induction Cooktop” and a “Roadmate Dash Cam”. It rained some in the early evening. We went to the night show again, tonight’s act was a Neil Diamond tribute band. They were good, much better than the Beatles.

March 1^st – Last day of work 9 to 3 today. Henrietta and Glenn left on Friday after work so it is just the 3 of us today (Jane & Jerry Lihue – the owners). Mike came around 230p to help us pack up. By 4 we were finished and getting ready for the road. It was a good 4 days of work – lots of time on my feet but worth it (got some spending money for Hawaii). Heavy rain was in the forecast so we decided to leave today. We headed the 60 miles to Gila Bend where we overnighted at Augies Quail Run RV park.

The "Family" at Ryan & Lexie's Wedding

Oops...I cut off the rider's head...but I did get the horse inflight!!!!

 Ryan & Lexie ~ the Newlyweds

 Mike & Dixie @ the wedding

Aunt Marge and grand~daughter Sarah!